Thill-coupling



(No Model.) Y

J. W. HOWGATB.

THILL GOUPLING.

No. 417,642. Patented Dec. 1-7. 1889` `UNiTnD STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JOSEPH WV. HOVGATE, OF VILMINGTON, DELAXVARE.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,642, dated December 17, 1889.

. Application filed October 2, 1889;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. HowGATE, a' citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilmington, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill- Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My inventionrelates toimprovements in that class of devices known as anti-rattling thill-couplings, the object being to provide a cheap, simple, durable, and reliable coupling in which the wear of the parts may be readily taken up and compensated for, thus obviating the disagreeable and injurious rattling incident to all thill-couplings which are `unprovided with any means for preventing` the same.

Many attempts have heretofore been made to provide a thill-coupling of the type named above which would be simple in operati'on, cheap in manufacture, reliable and durable in use, and which would perform its obj ect in an efficient manner. Such attempts, however, have generally'proved failures, and the Vdevices have not gone into extensive public use. This is due to inherent defects in construction and operation, which my invention is designed to obviate.

My invention consists in the several novel features of construction and new combinations of parts, hereinafter fully described, and definitely pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through one of lugs 3, each of Which is perforated for the Serial No. 325,738. (No model.)

front and rear of the axle for the screwthreaded ends 6 6 of the clip, which receives the nuts 7, by which the shackle is securely connected with the axle. The clamp or holder 8, to which the thill-iron is connected, consists of a metallic plate bent over upon itself at the center, forming two parallel portions 9, which at their forward ends are turned outwardly, forming flanges 10. This clamp or holder is inserted between the ears 3 3 of the shackle, and the bolt or pin 4 is inserted throughtheapertures in the ears and is embraced by the bent-over portions of the clamp, the interior surface of the bend of the clamp resting against said bolt, and thus securely connected with the shackle.

The portions 9 of the clamp are provided with two oblong or oval slots or apertures 11, which coincide or register with each other, as seen in Fig. 3. 12 designates the pole or thill iron having an aperture near its rear end, and 13 the bolt by which the same is connected by means of said aperture with. the clamp. This bolt consists of a shank screw-threaded at its lower portion to receive the nut 14. This bolt is provided at its upper end with an eccentric head 15, having a nick 16 for the reception of an ordinary screw-driver. This head 15 consists of a circular disk, with the bolt-shank a little to one side of the center thereof, said head thus forming an eccentric or cam. designed to t snugly Within thefapertures in the ears 3; but for furtherl security against accidental displacement the pin or bolt 17 may be provided, extending verticallythrongh one of the ears 3 above the bolt 4 and engaging with the latter.

From the above the operation of the device will be readily understood. The shackle being securely connected with the axle by means of the clip, the clamp is inserted between the ears 3 and the bolt4 passed through the apertures therein, thus holding the clamp in place. The thill or coupling iron 12 is then inserted in the clamp, and the bolt 18 passed through the oval slots or apertures therein and the aperture in the thill-iron. The eccentric head of the bolt is then turned by means of a screw-driver till it abuts firmly against one of the anges 10 of the clamp.

The bolt 4 is made from steel and is IOO The nut 14 is then screwed home on the bolt, and the parts are all thus securely held and rattling prevented.

It Will be obvious that any wear of the parts may be readily compensated for or taken up by means of the oval slots in the shackle and the eccentrically-headed bolt, the oval slots allowing;` it slight horizontal movement of the thill-irons when the bolt is unloosened for the purpose of adjusting said irons on account ot' Wear.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. The combination, with a, tliill-conpling, of the clamp or holder consisting of et metal plate bent over at its center, forming two par- .ftllel portions provided with oval or oblong,r

JOSEPH XV. IIOlVGATE.

Witnesses:

HENRY C. BERTOLETTE, HENRY R. SMITH. 

